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Essay on Planning Research from Different Perspectives
In the last few years, there has been increasing concern over the shortage of high-quality teachers around the country. However, such shortages have been suffered disproportionately by urban districts that tend to be larger, with more diverse student populations and higher concentrations of students with special needs. These districts face unique difficulties in attracting and retaining teachers. This report explores teacher attrition and mobility as one contributor to shortages in Rochester's Inner City Schools. Of particular interest is the impact of wage differentials – how much more is required to retain teachers in these high- need districts? Using data from history, this report presents evidence that, because of the special characteristics of urban districts, common solutions to the teacher shortage problem for the education system as a whole may not be sufficient, or even appropriate, for urban districts. The results have important implications for school finance at the state level as policies that equalize salaries across districts may be contributing to the problem for central cities.
The Rochester's Inner City Schools that do face true shortages tend to be urban and rural district. In a recent
survey of 40 of the largest schools, almost all expressed an immediate need for math, science, special education and bilingual teachers. And even when similar percentages of urban and suburban schools report vacancies in math and science, central city schools are far more likely to state that it is "very difficult or impossible" to fill vacancies. These shortages can have serious consequences for the quality of education for students in these districts, since when urban districts have vacancies, they are more likely to use substitute teachers, to hire a teacher that principals identify as "less than qualified", or to simply increase class size.................
